Promoter Bob Arum has criticized Eddie Hearn for making an “issue” of Artur Beterbiev’s atypical test results for his title defense against Callum Smith this Saturday night, saying he should be “ashamed of himself”.
Arum says Beterbiev’s atypical test result turned out to be the result of hormones created by his own body. Beterbiev passed his other tests on December 3, December 21 and January 3 without testing positive.
Defend Beterbiev and attack Hearn
Top Rank CEO Arum doesn’t like how Smith’s (29-1, 21 KOs) promoter Hearn made a big deal about the IBF, WBC and WBC light heavyweight champion’s test results. the WBO, Beterbiev.
Some believe Hearn was trying to discredit Beterbiev before the fight so that impressionable fans would give Smith a free pass if he is defeated on Saturday night.
Beterbiev will defend his three 175-pound titles this Saturday, January 13 at the Center Videotron in Quebec, Canada. The event begins at 10:00 pm ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
“Many people have fallen short with Canelo. Canelo is a good fighter, but again I have confidence in Artur. He has fought some great fighters for us, like Gvozdyk, Marcus Browne and Yarde. So, I think he’ll do pretty well,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told Boxing News, speaking of Artur Beterbiev, who will defend his IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight titles against Callum Smith on Saturday. at night.
“You have to trust the people who do the testing, and they said there is nothing to do with this. Atypical means that there is a trace, something that can be created by your own body. Subsequent tests showed that there was no prohibitive substance in his body,” Arum said of Beterbiev.
Hearn excluded from press conference
“It was only Eddie Hearn, who should be ashamed of himself, who made a big deal out of this. It’s finished. Do you know what atypical means? “They’re not sure,” Arum said.
What’s surprising is how much Hearn made a big deal about it because it’s creating bad publicity for his fighter, Callum’s important fight. If anything, Hearn should focus on the positive instead of talking about Beterbiev’s evidence.
Hearn should be worried about all the inactivity of his fighter, Callum. With only two fights in three years, both against weak opponents, he is not prepared for a talent like Beterbiev.
Instead of Hearn putting Smith in record-breaking fights after his loss to the 5’8″ Canelo Alvarez in 2020, he should have pitted him against top contenders like Joshua Buatsi, Craig Richards and Anthony Yarde.
“There is a small amount and they are not sure if it is a supplement or if it comes from the body itself that produces it, and later tests showed that it was from a human body because he [Beterbiev] There were no traces of anything wrong,” Arum said.
Beterbiev did not get away dirty. It was an atypical test, so it’s unclear why Hearn went too far in talking about it, as if Artur had been caught red-handed.
“VADA, that’s why we hired them. They are the experts, and if they say there is nothing there, there is nothing there. I’m not a doctor. You’re not a doctor. They are doctors. Talk to Margaret Goodman about it,” Arum said.
“No, no, it’s for the fighters,” Arum said when told that Eddie Hearn was unhappy that he wasn’t allowed on stage during the final press conference last Thursday for the Beterbiev-Smith fight. “Am I going to be up there? No.
“Whether Eddie Hearn is up there or not there doesn’t attract a viewer or sell a ticket. He has to forget about the fact that it’s all about him. He is not. It’s not about me. It’s about the fighters,” Arum said.
